Supermarket giant Marks & Spencer has taken delivery of 60 Mercedes-Benz Axors fitted with the manufacturer's 12-speed PowerShift automated transmissions. The tractor units will be powered by 360 and 400hp engines they will be fitted with standard sleeper cabs. In a bid to improve fuel economy the Axors will be also be equipped with air management kits from Hatcher Components.
Nick Livesey, procurement manager for M&S Food Logistics, says: "It is now standard policy that all of our trucks have automated transmissions, because experience has proved they deliver enhanced fuel-efficiency, as well as reducing strain on the drivers and wear and tear on the driveline."
The Axors will be operated on M&S's behalf by supply chain specialist Gist. Gist engineering director Sam de Beaux says: "We know that an automated transmission is worth an improvement of at least half a mile per gallon compared with a manually operated gearbox. And with a fleet the size of Gist's, which extends to more than 1,000 powered vehicles, that's a very worthwhile saving." The vehicles were supplied by South Coast dealer Pentagon.